This has nothing to do with travel but everything to do with a cause close to my heart. Breast cancer affects women all over the world. This deadly, insidious disease knows no boundaries.

High Tea: 200 Delightful Recipes for Friends and Family is Penguin Australia’s campaign to raise money for the McGrath Foundation to expand their Breast Care Nurse network and increase breast cancer awareness throughout Australia. I have one copy to give away to readers. 

Breast cancer has irrevocably changed the lives of several of my relatives and close friends over the past three decades. Some survived, but others passed away, suffering terribly in their final months of life. Three left behind young families. 

Breast cancer facts

• In 2011, breast cancer was the second leading cause of cancer-related death in Australian women, accounting for 15.6 per cent of all cancer deaths in women
• In 2011, there were 2,937 deaths from breast cancer (2,914 women and 23 men)
• Between 1994 and 2011, the age-standardised mortality rate for breast cancer in women decreased by 30 per cent  (from 30.9 deaths per 100,000 women in 1994 to 21.9 deaths per 100,000 women in 2011)
• For 2008, Australia’s mortality rate for breast cancer in women, was estimated to be lower than the rates for Southern Africa, New Zealand, Western Africa, Northern Europe, Northern Africa, Western Europe and Central and Eastern Europe
• Relative survival rates after diagnosis of breast cancer in women have increased in recent years. Between the periods 1982–1987 and 2006–2010, five-year relative survival increased from 72 per cent to 89.4 per cent in Australian women.
• Source: Cancer Australia

The McGrath Foundation was formed following the breast cancer experience of Jane McGrath, wife of prominent Australian cricketer Glenn McGrath. Jane, who had suffered two bouts, and Glenn decided to launch the McGrath Foundation in September 2005 to do what they could to help families in a similar situation. Leveraging Glenn’s profile as an international cricketer and learning from Jane’s illness, the foundation was established to increase the number of breast care nurses across the country and to increase breast awareness. 

Jane died as a result of the disease in 2008, and Glenn assumed the role of chairman and played an integral role in both managing the board and engaging the community behind the foundation’s activities. NSW Australian of the Year in 2008, Glenn has become president of the foundation and is now recognised as an outspoken advocate for improved support services and greater education for younger women around breast awareness. Breast cancer can go undetected until it’s too late. Early detection and breast health is a message that can’t be hammered home often enough. 

Breast care nurses are specially trained registered nurses who act as patient advocates, coordinating care for women experiencing breast cancer, their families and their carers. They provide accurate information, support and referral to services.

Australia’s favourite cooks, including Stephanie Alexander, David Herbert, Belinda Jeffery, Julie Goodwin and food blogger Lorraine Elliott (Not Quite Nigella) have all contributed recipes.  

As a tradition, high tea has survived hundreds of years of social change and revolutions in eating habits. It’s one of my favourite occasions. Dress up, play ladies, eat beautiful things and if you’re lucky a glass of bubbles might be included. Delish!

The British tradition of high tea began in the mid 1700s as an afternoon meal usually served between 3-4pm. Initially, it was a meal for the working man, taken standing up or sitting on tall stools, which is where the word “high” came into it.  Tea with cakes, scones, even cheese on toast would have been served.

Gradually, this afternoon meal became more known as an important event on social calendars of upper crust ladies and gentlemen, rather than a meal for the working man. High tea served a practical purpose, allowing people the opportunity of a substantial meal before attending the theatre, or playing cards. It might be some hours before evening supper could be served. It was around this time that John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, had the idea of placing meat and other fillings between two slices of bread. Et voila! The high tea sandwich was created.

The recipes in this book are all easy peasy. Most have 10 ingredients or less. If you’re a beginner in the kitchen or a seasoned cook, there are recipes to suit everyone.

♥ My favourites: 

• Eamon’s Chocolate & Hazelnut Meringues (using ground hazelnuts, eggwhites and dark cocoa)
• High Tea Sandwiches (with rare roast beef and horseradish, crab meat and avocado, blue cheese and celery, smoked salmon and capers etc)
• Cheese Straws (a childhood favourite using a dough with tasty cheese and a pinch of cayenne pepper, taking 6 mins to make and 6 mins to bake!)
• Herb Frittatas with Wasabi Cream (very simple recipe combining eggs with cream, creme fraiche and wasabi)
• Lamingtons (the national Australian favourite with vanilla sponge squares dipped in dark chocolate icing and rolled in shredded coconut)
• Red Devil Cake (super easy and rich choc cake which I’ve made successfully over the years)
• Almond Sponge (really old-fashioned cake made in a bunt or similar mould).

 High Tea cookbook 

giveaway!

The High Tea: 200 Delightful Recipes for Friends and Family giveaway is open to Australian residents only. Simply leave a comment on the post, or Like Taste for Travel’s Facebook page and leave a comment there.

On September 16 I’ll throw all the names into the big, broad-rimmed sunhat and pick a winner. $5 from each copy of the High Tea cookbook sold will be donated to the McGrath Foundation.

If you happen to be the lucky recipient of this book, I’d just ask you to donate $5 to the foundation. The book otherwise retails at $39.99.  Thanks a bunch, and good luck.  

 Update: Congratulations to Vivienne Glazenburg-Hanna who won the High Tea Cookbook! 
Stayed tuned for the next delicious giveaway!